How is Augmented Reality Changing Marketing? And 4 Companies Who is Already Doing It?

Augmented Reality (AR) is still a relatively new technology. Using augmented reality technology in marketing still has a novelty factor, so there is a lot of interest in it from both consumers and marketers. Consumers are likely to stop and interact with AR-integrated marketing out of pure curiosity, allowing more of your marketing messages to be seen and heard.

With AR, you can tap into mobile device usage to enhance the user experience, enhance brand value, and increase sales. So in this article, we'll explore the unique ways AR will change marketing and examples of companies already using it. That way, you can get an edge over the competition before augmented reality in marketing becomes mainstream.

Augmented Reality Marketing Will Help You Grab Attention

We live in an age where there is no shortage of distribution platforms to reach prospects with your marketing message. However, there is a shortage of attention. In a mobile-first digital marketing landscape, users are overwhelmed with information and advertisements.

Marketing with AR can help you capture more attention, which will change the way brands are introducing prospects to their products at the top of the funnel. In fact, due to the immersive experience, AR can capture attention for 85 seconds, a significant improvement over traditional advertising.

Augmented Reality in Marketing Will Change Engagement Levels

Increasing brand awareness is crucial. As research has shown, higher engagement leads to "psychological ownership", which increases sales. When using AR technology, prospects can "touch" your product, rotate it, and feel like they already own it.

This could be a game-changer for e-commerce retailers. Being able to "try on" a piece of clothing or build their custom product from scratch and view it in a 3D space will capture their attention and cause them to feel more invested in it, creating a great augmented reality experience. 

AR Can Enhance Your Brand Value

Just as video content has a higher perceived value than text content, augmented reality marketing content has a higher perceived value than traditional video. This is because you can create a richer user experience that's more educational and more fun. In fact, 61% of consumers prefer retailers who offer ar technology. 

Using augmented reality in marketing will allow you to leverage the popularity of other brands and platforms. For instance, people love to play around with Snapchat and Instagram AR features. Creating a similar experience or even sponsoring a filter will associate your brand with these positive feelings and increase brand equity.

A New Customer Experience

When it comes to marketing, augmented reality is more than a gimmick. It will allow marketers to add context to their customer experience. You can create mini-worlds that align with your brand design guidelines, for instance.

Anything a customer does to interact with your brand on mobile — from viewing furniture to shopping for a watch — can be enriched with visuals, sound, and multiple dimensions. This creates a captivating real-life experience where your sales messaging can be more effective. As a result, marketers will need to begin viewing ar marketing as a holistic, 360-degree affair.

Automated Marketing Funnels

The idea of selling your customers the right product based on their behaviour and needs is not new. But the ability to do this in an automated fashion still has a long way to go.

For instance, imagine your customer seeing panoramic views of your eCommerce products. And with some AR technology, it can detect shapes and colours. This could allow for creating 3D closets in the comfort of their own living rooms instead of old-school shopping carts. 

Remember the importance of mental ownership? If you want to achieve this in marketing, augmented reality can help you like nothing else.

Now that we have covered the major ways that augmented reality will change marketing let's look at some examples of brands already using this exciting technology. That way, you can get inspiration for ways to apply it to your own virtual world using your own products and services:

Pepsi

Pepsi sells a sugary drink that is purely designed to make you feel good. So naturally, their digital marketing strategy reflects this brand image — typically featuring young, hip people having a great time while drinking their product. 

Pepsi was able to advance the fun vibe of their brand when they placed AR technology in a bus shelter in London, creating the illusion of UFOs attacking the city. This playful implementation of AR didn't just create a fun user experience but also earned the company 6 million YouTube views.

Talk about getting attention and buzz.

StubHub

The ticket marketplace StubHub created an AR feature for Super Bowl LII that enabled buyers to view 3D models of the stadium and its proximity to concession stands and parking areas.

This immersive approach allowed customers to feel like they already owned their seats and selected their seating based on what they valued most. It also solved the pain point of not knowing what you're going to get.

This was particularly useful for out-of-towners and ended up doubling the engagement of StubHub's mobile app over the previous year.

Sephora

Many women don't like to purchase makeup online, and rightfully so — it's virtually impossible to know what a lip gloss or foundation cream will look like on their skin and if it will be the right colour.

Sephora has empathy for this consumer hesitancy and provided an AR experience to solve it. Their Virtual Artist App, available on iPhone and Android, allows shoppers to use their phone camera to virtually apply their makeup products on their faces.

They also leveraged AI to show users how their faces would look after months of using the selected skincare products (something that wasn't even available in physical stores). 

Taco Bell

The popular fast-food chain Taco Bell positioned its brand as innovative and savvy with its social media AR marketing campaign. For example, when launching their Doritos taco shell, they sold it with augmented reality packaging.

The AR feature allowed customers to scan the taco box and view Facebook and Twitter posts in real-time. This creative twist created a sense of community and customer engagement in their market.

Wrapping Up

The marketing world is constantly evolving. And you need to adapt to these changes to stay relevant and differentiate yourself from the crowd. With AR, you can craft new marketing strategies and campaigns to further customer engagement, build value, and ultimately increase conversions.

Want help determining how to apply augmented reality and virtual reality marketing to your business? Book a free consultation now.